2 days ago
3
Ingredients
250g bivalves (clams, pipis or a mixture), scrubbed
300g pot-ready mussels, scrubbed
200g large prawns, peeled, deveined
1 small squid (about 250g) cleaned
125ml (½ cup) white wine
500g bronze-extruded dried linguine (see note)
80ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, bruised
1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
150g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbsp finely shredded parsley
lemon wedges, to serve
Method
Step 1
Prepare your seafood. Purge the bivalves, if necessary (see note), and butterfly the prawns by slicing down the back (you can chop them, but keeping them whole showcases their quality). Slice the squid tubes into 1cm rings, discard the eyes, trim the wing cartilage, and cut the tentacles into pieces. Keep each variety of seafood separate.
Step 2
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the wine, and simmer until the raw alcohol scent evaporates. Add the bivalves, cover, and steam until most have opened. Transfer the bivalves to a bowl and strain the cooking liquid – this “wine-y” juice is the secret to a deep seafood flavour. Shell half of the bivalves to make the final dish easier to eat.
Step 3
With prep finished, boil a large pot of well-salted water. Add the pasta and set a timer for 3 minutes less than the package instructions.
Step 4
Meanwhile, heat a large frypan or low casserole over medium heat with the oil and garlic. Fry until the garlic is lightly browned, then toss in the chilli (if using) for a few seconds. Just before the pasta is ready, add the prawns, squid and cherry tomatoes to the pan. Incorporate the bivalves and their strained liquid, bringing everything to a simmer.
Step 5
When the timer goes off, strain the still-firm pasta, reserving ¾ cup of pasta cooking water.
Step 6
Transfer the pasta to the pan, along with some of the reserved pasta water. Agitate the pan as they cook together; the pasta will soften as it absorbs the juices. If it still seems dry, add a little more of the pasta water.
Step 7
Once the pasta is al dente and coated in sauce, toss through the parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. The seafood should still look slightly underdone. Plate immediately and serve with lemon wedges. By the time your plates get to the table, the seafood will be perfectly cooked.
Masterclass
Is this dish really “marinara”?
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In Italian cuisine, marinara translates to “mariner-style”. In both Italy and the United States, it refers to a simple tomato sauce seasoned with garlic, olive oil and herbs – a recipe famously favoured by Neapolitan seafarers despite containing no seafood.
In Australia, New Zealand, Spain and South Africa, marinara describes a pasta dish featuring various types of seafood. Meanwhile, back in Italy, that same seafood-laden pasta is known as allo scoglio, or “of the reef”.
Don’t overcook… anything.
If you’re looking for a single rule for a great marinara, it’s this: don’t overcook the seafood or the pasta. Timing is everything. You want both elements to be perfectly done the moment they hit the table, which means they should be slightly underdone when they leave the pan.
We consider seafood “cooked” at about 45 degrees, a much lower temperature than most meat and poultry require. So if we cook it all the way in the pan, the residual heat will ensure it’s overcooked by the time it reaches the table.
The secret is to add the pasta to the pan while it’s still firm, just as the squid and prawns have started cooking. The pasta will soften as it absorbs the juices from the seafood; then, once the pasta is al dente, the seafood should still be slightly underdone. In the few minutes it takes to get everything to the table, the residual heat will finish the seafood perfectly.
Can I use marinara mix?
Of course you can. While marinara mix is often dismissed as low-quality, that isn’t necessarily true. A good fishmonger’s mix is typically made from the same fish you’d buy at a higher price as nicely shaped fillets. Using these offcuts is not only more affordable but also more sustainable, as it ensures less of the fish goes to waste.
Because there are no “offcuts” when it comes to whole seafood such as prawns or mussels, you may find fewer of them in a standard mix than you’d like. For a more premium feel, simply buy a few extra prawns or mussels to toss in yourself.
Do I need to purge my clams and mussels?
Purging bivalves involves soaking them in salt water to clear out any grit or sand trapped inside the shells. In Australia, our mussels are rope-grown and rarely contain much sand; similarly, most clams and pipis are sold pre-purged by fishmongers, so the extra step is usually unnecessary.
That said, many cooks prefer to purge their shellfish just to be safe, and the process is straightforward: dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt (about 30g) into a litre of cold water and soak the bivalves for roughly 1½ hours. When finished, lift them out of the liquid rather than pouring it out, so the grit stays at the bottom.
What is bronze-extruded pasta, and is it important?
Machine-made dried pasta is typically extruded through non-stick metal dies to create its shape. For bronze-extruded pasta, however, the die is made from bronze, which lacks that non-stick coating and has a much sharper edge.
It might sound like a gimmick, but if you hold a piece of bronze-extruded spaghetti next to the ordinary kind, the difference is obvious: the bronze-extruded strand is dull and textured, whereas the standard version is smooth and shiny. That roughness is vital. Once cooked, the duller surface grips the sauce better, making every bite more flavourful. It is absolutely worth the switch.
What can I do to change up my marinara?
If you’re looking to switch things up, there are plenty of ways to customise your marinara. While linguine is the classic choice, I also love spaghetti or conchiglie (shells) – there is a lovely symmetry in the pasta shape mirroring the shellfish. Casarecce is a more obscure option, but its twisted shape is reminiscent of squid and pairs beautifully with seafood.
For a flavour twist, swap fresh chilli for Calabrian chilli paste (crema di peperoncino). You can also introduce fennel by frying finely diced bulbs with the garlic or adding paper-thin shavings along with the tomatoes. When it comes to herbs, dill or tarragon are great alternatives to parsley, but my favourite underrated pairing for seafood is thyme; add it early so its flavour infuses the oil.
For a deeper hit of umami, try melting anchovies and tomato paste into the olive oil at the start. And if you’re tempted to add parmesan but fear the “no cheese with seafood” police – don’t worry. As a devoted tuna mornay lover, you won’t hear any complaints from me.
